House accepts PBBM challenge to forge closer PH-US ties

From the Philippine News Agency (May 4, 2023): House accepts PBBM challenge to forge closer PH-US ties (By Zaldy De Layola)

MANILA – House Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez on Wednesday (US time) welcomed the suggestion of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. that efforts to boost the long-standing bond of friendship between the Philippines and the United States should also involve the respective legislative branches of the two countries.

Romualdez said the House of Representatives is ready to take up the challenge of strengthening the long-standing ties between the two nations through consistent engagements of each country’s lawmakers.

“We, at the House of Representatives, welcome the suggestion of President Ferdinand "Bongbong" R. Marcos Jr. that efforts to boost the long-standing bond of friendship between the Philippines and the United States should also involve the respective Legislative branches of the two countries,” the Speaker said.

“We are ready to take up that challenge and we look forward to more engagements with our counterparts in the United States in the future,” he added.

On Wednesday, Marcos and members of his delegation met with key members of the US Senate and discussed with them various issues that include security, defense, agriculture and climate change mitigation, economic cooperation and cyber security.

During the meeting, Marcos thanked Senator Robert Menendez, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and other members of the panel for welcoming his delegation to Capitol Hill.

It was also during the said meeting when Marcos noted that engagements between Manila and Washington should not only take place at the executive department but also with members of the legislature of both governments.

“While the conduct of foreign relations is largely the domain of the Executive, engagements between the lawmakers of both countries would be of immense value in, for instance, harmonizing the legal framework governing their bilateral relations,” Romualdez noted.

He added that with closer personal relations engendered through such engagements, the lawmakers of both countries would help deepen the level of appreciation and understanding on issues of mutual concern and thus promote even closer cooperation and partnership.

“We have actually taken the initiative to move toward the direction suggested by President Marcos,” Romualdez said.

It could be recalled that in mid-April, Speaker Romualdez along with several members of the House, flew to the United States where they engaged with key congressional leaders to lay the groundwork for the official visit of Marcos to the United States.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1200717